N4T Investigators: Credit card letter old scam with a new twist

Along with our dependence on electronic technology and high tech thieves that come with it, some still try to you rip you off the old-fashioned way; through your mail box.

When a letter arrived at the home of Pat Lamont, news that she had just won $3.5 million just did not add up.

"The envelope was post marked in Canada. The letter was allegedly written in New York," said Lamont. "That was another red flag for me."

The letter, supposedly from the Visa/MasterCard agency, began by congratulating Lamont and informing her that she had won a prize payout totaling $3.5 million.

"I didn't enter the contest for number one. The next red flag was in the last paragraph," Lamont said. "They tell you to keep the letter confidential, don't tell anyone. So there were red flags all over the place."

The letter, which included a number of misspellings, instructs the winner to contact their agent within 92 hours to confirm a method of payment. A number is provided with an area code from Vancouver, Canada. Attempts to connect to the number were not successful

Susanne Miller, with the Better Business Bureau of Southern Arizona, said once they get the victim on the phone they ask for a bank account and routing number in order to transfer the money. In the end, it is the victim who delivers the dollars.

"This is happening everywhere," said Miller. "We are getting reports of it via our scam tracker, that everyone who gives their information, they do pull your money from your account and strip it clean."

Miller says if you receive a letter like the one Pat Lamont did, do not make contact and instead report it to the Better Business Bureau through its Scam Tracker website.

If you have a story you would like News 4 Tucson Investigators to investigate, email investigators@kvoa.com or call 955-4444.